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Paraguay Population 2018

6,928,732

Paraguay is a landlocked country in central South America and sometimes called the Heart of America. In 2018, the population is estimated at 6.90 million people, up from 6.81 million in 2013, which ranks it 104th in the world. Despite this fairly large population, Paraguay has a low population density with just 15 people per square kilometer, or 204th in the world.

Paraguay was inhabited by its indigenous Guarani people for at least 1,000 years prior to the Spanish conquering the region prior to the 16th century. The country was ruled by many dictators after it achieved independence, and between 1864 and 1870, Paraguay lost 60-70% of its population to war and disease. Most of the population today is concentrated in the southeast area of the country, with the largest city and capital, Asunción, home to about 1/3 of Paraguay's total population.

The indigenous Guarani people remain influential, but most residents identify as mestizo after years of intermarriage among various ethnic groups. Paraguay has long been a recipient of immigrants, particularly after war collapsed its demographics, and there are many groups of ethnic Italians, Russians, Japanese, Germans, Chinese, Arabs, Brazilians and Argentinians in the country. Brazilians represent the largest immigrant group at 400,000, while 1% of the population is Afro-Paraguayan. There is no official information about the country's ethnic composition, as census information does not ask about race and ethnicity. Indigenous people do make up 1.7% of Paraguay's population.

Data Sources

Total population: Estimated to be consistent with the 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, and 2002 censuses, with preliminary results of the 2012 census, with official estimates through 2014, and with estimates of the subsequent trends in fertility, mortality and international migration.